Match-safe



in; Model.)

- F. WITTENBERG.

MATCH SAFE.

No. 550,087. Patented Nov. 19,- 11895;

z Ji'ar d 'l Viffeney and having aT-shaped slot whereby to remove UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK WITTENBERG, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

MATCH-SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,687, dated November 19, 1895. Application filedDecember 28,1894. Serial No. 533,199. armada To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK WITTENBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Match-Safe, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a match-safe which will make it impossible for matches to be taken out in large quantities and which will therefore prevent the stealing of the matches.

In stores and other public places where it is necessary to furnish matches a great evil is found to exist in persons carrying away handfuls of matches. Various devices have been devised to prevent this, and it is to this class of match-safes that my invention belongs.

To such an end the invention consists in a casing placed perpendicularly or on an incline the matches, the arrangement and construction being such that the matches will have to be moved up the perpendicular portion of the slot and out of the horizontal portion. This construction operates in a two-fold manner first, it prevents the accidental falling out of the matches, and second, it makes the operation of removing a match a little more complicated than ordinarily, soathat about two seconds of time will be consumed in removing a match. It is obvious that under these conditions persons will not stand before the safe long enough to remove more than one or two matches.

The invention embraces various features of construction subordinate to the broad principles above expressed, and all of thesefeatures are fullyshown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents a perspective view showing the invention in the form adapted for hanging on the wall or other perpendicular surface. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the form adapted for standing on a horizontal surface. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the match-safe. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of the plate which closes the match-inserting opening. Fig. 5 is a crosssection taken through the device just below the horizontal part of the T-shaped slot referred to hereinbefore.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate two difierent forms of supporting the match-box, and in each of these forms the match-box proper is unchanged, the said forms differing only in the structure for supporting them. Thus in Fig. l the match-box has secured to its sides the wedge-shaped boards 1, which are fixed to a base-board 2. This base-board 2 is adapted to. extend vertically and to be fixed to a correspondingly-disposed surface, such as the wall 3 in Fig. 1. The match-safe in this figure extends-parallel with the outer edges of the board or plate 1, which makes the safe extend diagonally in relation to the wall, and it is preferred that the safe have such a disposition for reasons that will be hereinafter explained.

In Fig. 2 the match-safe-is shown to be mounted upon a frame which is capable of resting upon a horizontal surface, and this frame consists of the plates or boards 4:, substantially triangular in form and formed with inclined front edges 5, which have a shoulder 6 at their lower extremities, and it is upon these edges 5 and against the shoulder 6 that the match-safe proper rests. 7 indicates a base plate or board to which the plates 4 are secured, and this plate is adapted to rest upon a table or other horizontal surface, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The'plate 7 is projected slightly forward of the lower end of the matchsafe, so as to form a platform or'ledge,all of which is illustrated in Fig. 2.

The construction of the match-safe proper will now be described. The casing of this device comprises a back plate 8, to which the side portions 9 are rigidly secured. These side portions may eitherbe the plates 1 or4of Figs. 1 and 2 ,respectively, or may be additional plates. In practice the former course will be adopted, but in the drawings I have shown them to be addtional plates, as'may be seen by reference thereto. The back plate 8 also has end pieces or plates 10 arranged at the upper and lower extremities of the casing, and these parts, together withthe front of the device, comprise the casing of the matchsafe proper.

11 indicates a metallic plate, which is located in the lower front portion of the casing, and which has its lower edge terminating a slight distance above the lower end plate 10,

while its upper edge terminates a distance equal to perhaps a little more than one-third the length of the casing; and at this upper edge of the plate 11 the bar 12 is arranged and extended transversely across the front side thereof, so as to close the space between the front side of the plate and the front cover of the casing, as against the remaining portion of the space within the casing. The location of the plate 1.1 is such that a space will be left between its front side and the front of the casing, not to speak of the much larger space which is left between the said plate 11 and the back plate 8. The space first mentioned should be of a size sufficient to permit matches to be readily received therein and to lie one above the other in a vertical line.

Formed in the front side of the casing is the T-shaped slot referred to hereinbefore, and this comprises a vertical portion 11, communicating with a horizontal portion 15. The plate is provided with a notch 16 in line with the vertical portion 11 of the T-shaped slot in order to facilitate the grasping of a match between the fingers. The part 14: of the T-shaped slot is aligned with a slot 13 in the plate 11, and this slot 1 3 is located centrally with the plate 11. and has its upper end terminating at the upper end of the vertical part 11 of the T-shaped slot. By these means the matches may be drawnv from the main portion of the easing into the space forward. of the plate 11 and through the space at the lower end thereof. From this point they may be moved up the front side of the plate 1.1., and finally out by way of the horizontal portion 15 of the T-shaped slot, the part 14 of said slot and the slot 13 servingto permit the introduction of aiinger, whereby the match is manipulated.

The space in the lower portion of the easing and rearward of the plate 11 is just suilicient to receive an ordinary parlor-match box, which is shown in the drawings and is designated by the numeral 16. This box has its cover removed and arranged in the casing, so that the matches will lie against the plate 11 and against other portions of the casing-front, as will better appear hereinafter.

The upper half of the casing-front is made removable, so that the box 16 may be inserted therein, and this removable portion is designated by the numeral 17. It has rigidly secured to its upper rear side the plate 18, and this plate projects inwardly and slightly downwardly and is braced by the vertical plates 1!), which are arranged parallel with each other and rigidly secured to the inner side of the plate 1.7 and the under side of the plate 1.8.

indicates a tongue, which is approximately square and. which is rigidly secured to the inner side of the plate 17 at a point below the plate 19, its lower end being projected below the first plate, so that it will engage with the upper inner side of the stationary portion of the casing-front. The tongue 20 serves a twofold function-namely, to assist in holding the plate 17 in place and to lie against the upper side of the match-box 143, so as to confine the matches therein. This is illustrated in Fig. 3, and by reference to this figure it will be seen that the tongue 20 serves an important purpose in the device. The plate 18 has for its purpose to hold the upper end of the plate 17 in place, and this it does by binding against the inner side of the upper end plate 10 and preventing loose and unnecessary movement by frictional contact.

It is intended that the segregability of the plate 18 from the other parts of the device he not apparent upon the face of the match-safe, and that it be known only to persons having the ownership or management thereof. By these means it will be quite impossible for persons to remove the plate 17 and take out large quantities of matches, as they might otherwise (10, and to still further insure the secureness of the plate 1.7 the upper plate 1.0 is provided with a small vertical perforation 21, which matches with a similar perforation 22 in the plate 18. Through these perforations a securing-pin is passed, and by this arrangement, even though the removable character of the plate 1.7 were l nown,it would. be impossible to effect the removal of this plate without first displacing the pin 23.

In the use of my invention the box. 10, full of matches, is first inserted in place, after which the plate 1.9 is placed. The matches of the box 10 will now press against the plate 11, and the lower matches will, perhaps, pass through the space at the bottom. of the plate and into the lower part of the space at the front of the plate. Supposing, n ow, that it was desired to remove a match, if any of them have taken a place at the front of the plate 11, all that will be necessary is to insert ones index-finger and thumb through the part 14: of the T-shaped slot and carry a match up the front side of the plate 11. to the part 15 of the said slot,whereupon it maybe withdrawn. If, however, :it is necessary to draw a match. past the lower edge of the plate 11, this may be done by pushing the fingers still farther into and through the slot 13, all. of which will be apparent from the drawin 24 indicates a roughened or serrated S111:- face, which. is secured to or formed on the front side of the plate 17, and which is useful in igniting the matches after they have been withdrawui, all of which. is common with match-safes and will. be understood.

It will be observed that the inclined disposition of the match-safe makes it possible for the box 16 of matches to be inserted with great ease and. without liability of spilling them. This incline of the safe is advantageous further, in that it makes it easier to ignite the matches by striking them against the inclined. surface 2-1. 1

Changes in the form, Pl'OPOlftlOll, and the m inor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the principle or IIO sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described the invention, I claim- 1. A match safe comprising a casing, a T- shaped slot in the front side thereof, said slot having a vertical portion, and a horizontal portion at the upper end of the vertical portion, and a partition plate extending vertically within the casing with its lower edge terminating a short distance above the bottom of said casing, said plate being arranged to divide the interior of the casing into two compartments and having a slot therein aligning with the vertical portion of the T-shaped slot in the front wall of the casing, substantially as described.

2. A match safe comprising a casing having a T-shaped slot in its front wall, one part of said slot being horizontal and the remaining part vertical and extending downwardly from the horizontal part, and a partition plate located in the lower portion of the casing and dividing the interior thereof into two compartments, the lower edge of said plate being arranged a slight distance above the lower end of the casing for affording communication between said compartments, for the purpose and substantially as described.

3. A match safe comprising a casing having in its lower front side a slot for the removal of the matches and having the upper portion of its front side open, a plate 17 closing said opening and removably secured in place, a plate 18 fixed to the inner upper portion of the plate 17 and binding against the adjacent portion of the casing, and atongue secured to the lower and inner side of the plate 17 and projecting below the same, the said tongue being engaged with the upper portion of the rigid front of the casing, substantially as described.

4. A match safe comprising a casing having a front side the lowerportion of which is rigid, a removable plate closing the remainder of the front, a tongue secured to the lower edge of the removable plate and at the inner side thereof, the said tongue being projected below the lower edge of the removable plate and engaged with the rigid portion of the casing front, a plate 18 rigidly secured to the upper and inner side of the removable plate and engaging with the upper portion of the casing, a plate 11 located within the casing and at the lower portion thereof and near the front side so as to divide that part of the casing into two compartments, the lower edge of the plate 11 being arranged a slight distance above the lower portion of the casing, and a bar arranged at the upper front side of the plate 11 and filling the space between said plate and the front of the casing, the plate 11 being formed with a vertical slot in its lower portion, which slot registers with the vertical portion of the T-shaped slot formed in the front of the casing, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in two witnesses. FRANK WITTENBERG.

the presence of Witnesses:

W. S. BOONE, W. E. PoLLooK. 

